Children with hand, foot, and mouth disease do not need to avoid drafts or stay in closed rooms. It is only necessary to keep the room airy, at a comfortable temperature, and prevent cold drafts from blowing directly onto the child.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by an enterovirus, not by wind or weather. Bundling children too tightly can make them hot and sweaty, irritating the affected skin and increasing the risk of secondary infection if hygiene is poor. Children should wear loose, soft, absorbent clothing, keeping their skin clean and dry.
Rooms can have open doors, and fans or air conditioners can be used when it is hot, but avoid directing airflow straight onto the child. During cold weather, heavy rain, strong winds, or high dust, limit taking children outside. Children should also avoid crowded places due to the high contagiousness of the disease.
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Children with hand, foot, and mouth disease do not need to avoid drafts or be completely bundled. Photo illustration: Vecteezy |
Most children with mild hand, foot, and mouth disease recover in 7-10 days with proper care. Children need rest and adequate hydration. Because mouth sores cause pain, parents should offer small, frequent meals, consisting of: soft, liquid, and cool foods, while avoiding hot, spicy, sour, salty, or hard items.
Children should still bathe daily, drying gently. Do not puncture blisters, apply leaves, or self-medicate. Toys, doorknobs, and tabletops should be cleaned and disinfected, and personal items should not be shared with other children.
While monitoring at home, seek immediate medical attention if the child shows signs of worsening, such as: prolonged high fever, frequent startling, trembling limbs, lethargy, frequent vomiting, rapid breathing, cyanosis, or seizures. Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by various virus strains, with EV71 being highly virulent and prone to severe complications. Therefore, a child who has had the disease can contract it again if infected with a different strain.
Currently, there is no specific treatment; children primarily receive symptomatic care and nutritional support. Regarding preventive vaccines, an EV71 vaccine is available and approved by the Ministry of Health for circulation in Vietnam for children from two months to under six years old. The vaccine helps prevent the dangerous EV71 virus strain that causes hand, foot, and mouth disease and offers cross-protection against various subgroups, reducing the risk of illness and reinfection.
As a comprehensive strategic partner with the pharmaceutical group Biologics Substipharm (Switzerland), the vaccine distributor in Vietnam, the VNVC Immunization System is expediting procedures to soon implement vaccinations for children.
Doctor Nguyen Van Mac Toan
Medical Manager, VNVC Immunization System
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